Man and Wife
by AnimalCraziey
Summary: During an investigation, Tony and Ziva have to find out some information, and that means moving in together and pretending to be husband and wife! How will they deal with their daily 'marital' dilemmas? Will they realise their feelings for each other?
1. Chapter 1

**Tony and Ziva- Man and Wife**

"Honey, there are some new neighbours next door!" Rachel Leighton turned round to face her husband. The plate was wet with water, her own face wet with tears.

"Really? Well, maybe they'll just die like Aaron did!" Her husband came forward and hugged her.

"Well, they're coming here. Soon." The doorbell rang. Rachel quickly took off her washing gloves and ran upstairs. Her husband ran his hand through his hair as he walked towards the door.

"Rachel! You don't need to change!"yelled John Leighton tiredly as he opened the door. On the porch stood a tall brunette. A tall, exotic-looking and beautiful brunette.

"Good afternoon. My name is Maria DiAngelo. Your new neighbour." John nodded eagerly.

"Oh, of course! Come on in Maria." The neighbour smiled. John wished he had combed his hair.

"I'm John, by the way. John Leighton. My wife will be here in just a moment." Rachel appeared, miraculously made-up and coiffured. She seemed to slump into herself.

"Is it only you who moved in?"she asked, a tad rudely. A man arrived beside her.

"Fortunately for her, she's got me. " Maria's husband kissed her and removed his sunglasses after.

"Chris. Chris DiAngelo. Pleasant to meet you." He smiled a little extra at Rachel's sensual smile.

"Sorry to pull Maria away, but we lead awfully busy lives. Toodle pip!"

_Walking to the car_

"Toodle pip? Very natural Tony," sniggered Ziva as they walked down to their car." You are really enjoying this little play act, aren't you?" Tony placed an arm around her shoulders.

"Of course I'm enjoying this charade Ziva. It's reminiscent of one of my uncharacteristic favourites _Just Go With It. _Except there's no dazzling 6th grade maths teacher named Palmer but a dead Petty Officer named Aaron. You're like Katherine, and I'm Dr Maccabee. Oh and why wouldn't I enjoy it when you're my Katherine?" Ziva turned to face him with an angry expression on her face.

"Aha, you can't hit me, your dearest newlywed husband. Laugh at, no with, me instead." They laughed till they reached the car and waved goodbye to the Leighton's.

"Gibbs better have a status update when we reach NCIS HQ," muttered Ziva grumpily.

_Bullpen_

"You two will carry on there." Ziva stared at Gibbs before throwing her hands up in the air.

"Tell me one good reason why!"she said strongly. Gibbs pointed to the plasma.

"Rachel Leighton was a good friend of Aaron's. You need to befriend her Ziva and find out exactly what kind of relationship it was. As for Tony, he needs to buddy up with John. All we know is that John used to be a Marine. He was once under Aaron's father's command." Gibbs turned round.

"You two will be carrying out your work; just not in front of these desks in this building." McGee raised his hand and Gibbs nodded at him.

"Why do Tony and Ziva have to be husband and wife? I don't understand that part, boss." Gibbs smiled a little, much to the annoyance of Ziva.

"Being a married couple, just like them, will make it easier for the Leighton's to warm up towards you two. Being neighbours, that just enhances it all." Tony smiled and took the cars.

"Come on Maria, we need to get some milk. We're running out." Laughing at Ziva's dirty look that she gave him, both she and Tony left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Talking Food**

"It's just milk, right?" asked Tony." So why do we have a trolley? I'm not THAT weak, you know!" Ziva laughed and pushed the trolley down the fresh produce aisle.

"Married couples don't have take out every night. They cook in their kitchen." Tony sighed.

"One of the many reasons why I don't settle down. My stomach couldn't take it." Ziva sighed.

"What do you want for dinner today Tony?"asked Ziva, and she started to laugh. "Never thought I'd actually have to say that." Tony started to scratch his chin.

"Wouldn't want to put you up to anything too hard...spaghetti bolognaise?"Ziva stopped.

"Put me up to anything hard? What do you mean by that DiNozzo?" Tony smirked.

"You can speak about 10 languages, you were a spy in a sense, and you can easily knock a grown man out...but can you cook Ziva David?" She put a carrot down and placed her hands on her hips.

"Tony, you are questioning my feminty." He laughed and tapped her on the shoulder as he passed by. Picking up some tomatoes he corrected her.

"Femininity, Ziva. Not feminty." Ignoring her 2nd angry look so far he reached for some garlic.

"Does spaghetti bolognaise need garlic?"asked Ziva, confused. Inhaling the scent and sighing happily, DiNozzo returned and placed it in the trolley.

"The DiNozzo family recipe does, Ziva. It's my grandma's recipe, from the good old Italian times. That's why we're cooking it together." She raised an eyebrow.

"What, you thought I would trust you with my family recipe?"asked Tony." You must be out of your mind. Now come on, let's move on to the spaghetti."

_Back at the house_

"You're doing it wrong." Ziva threw down the spoon and looked at Tony. He was casually eating tomatoes.

"How can you stir it wrong?" He slowly walked over and lifted the spoon tenderly. Slowly he stirred the sauce. Ziva looked at it and frowned. Tony shook his head.

"We DiNozzo love our food. It gives us life. Treat it with respect. Let it simmer and absorb all the flavours." She started at him in mild shock.

"I cannot believe that the most expressive thing that you've ever said was about food." He shrugged.

"What's that smell?" she asked, suddenly alert. It was a burning smell, coming from next door. The only person next door was Rachel Leighton.

"Continue with the sauce Tony. I have to go check something out." Removing her apron she ran out of the house and towards next door.


	3. Chapter 3

**It's OK**

Ziva quickly kept the gun in her holster and knocked on the door. There was no answer.

"Mrs Leighton! Rachel! Open the door!" Still no response. Swearing under her breath, Ziva ran to the kitchen. The window was open, and she clambered in. Rachel was on the floor, hugging herself. The food in the oven and on the stove had started to burn. Quickly shutting it all off, Ziva sat beside Rachel and placed her hand on her arm.

"Rachel. Are you alright?" Ziva dodged the arm that came flying at her. She was able to see Rachel properly now. She was beautiful, with deep blonde hair and an oval face. Her nails were perfectly manicured and her legs were long and tanned.

"Tony's ideal woman," Ziva found herself thinking but she quickly shook the thought away.

"Do you think I'm alright? That's such an idiotic question to ask someone in a state like mine." She started to cry. Ziva sat down opposite her cross-legged.

"I'm sorry Rachel, let me start again. What's wrong?" Rachel sighed, her breath haggard.

"Everything's wrong. It's been wrong ever since Aaron died." Ziva gently touched her arm.

"Aaron?"she asked. Rachel nodded, and wiped her tears away.

"Yes, our next door neighbour. I was cooking roast chicken and vegetables. Then I thought of him, it was his favourite meal! There's not much after that." She smiled a little and Ziva smiled back.

"How do you know his favourite meal?" she asked. Rachel hesitated before replying.

"Aaron was a Marine, as was his father and my husband John. John actually served under Aaron's father Adam. That's how they knew each other. Aaron moved in next door." She looked sheepish.

"When John goes on long trips, you know Navy trips, I invited Aaron over. Poor boy, he lost his mother at an early age, he only knew takeout not a lovingly made home cooked meal!" Rachel started to cry again and Ziva hugged her supportively.

"Thank you Maria. You're a good woman." Ziva smiled and noticed Tony gesturing to her from next door. She smiled stood up, dusting herself off.

"I have to go. Goodbye Rachel." She helped Rachel get up before she climbed to the window.

"Goodbye Maria." Ziva closed the window behind her as she left.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author Note: I hope that my little Jennifer Aniston fan reads this fic...you know who you are ;)**_

"Ok, what do you want to watch?" asked Tony. There was no reply from Ziva. Tony sighed. She was totally engrossed in her book. Shrugging, Tony turned the TV on and switched to the football game that was on. 5 minutes passed.

Ziva looked up from her book. It was loud, did Tony not notice? And even when the Baltimore Ravens were so obviously losing, why did Tony continue to cheer? She placed her book down.

"Tony, I'm worried about you." He paid no attention to her. After a minute Ziva walked over and manually shut the television off. He frowned at her.

"What was that for?" he asked angrily. She paused before speaking.

"I'm worried about you Tony. The TV's on so loud, your hearing could be damaged." He sighed.

"Indirectly, you are the cause of your own worry. Since you didn't reply I chose the program. I chose football, and I always watch football loud. If you had answered my question we could've settled on something else." She smirked and placed her hands on her hips.

"You aren't blind. Couldn't you see that I was happily enjoying my book?"she asked. There was silence. Tony didn't know what to say. She had a perfectly good point after all.

"I've always told you, reading a book isn't good entertainment." She smiled and slowly traced her tongue over her lips.

"Alright then, point taken. Tony, I want you to show me something that we could do...for entertainment." Tony gasped a little. Ziva was telling him to think of something...something that would be entertaining.

"I have a plan. Come with me." He took her hand and let her upstairs, past the bathroom...into the bedroom. She hesitated slightly before entering after him. She laughed.

"I should've known. Tony, I'm not going to do this." She faltered when she saw his determined expression. He held a bag in his hand.

"Oh, trust me Ziva, you'll enjoy this. I'm 100% sure that you haven't done ANYTHING like this before." Apprehensively, her gaze settled on the bag. About 8 DVD cases fell out.

"We're going to have a movie marathon. A Jennifer Aniston movie marathon." She was confused.

"Who's Jennifer Aniston?" Tony was speechless.

"Thank goodness, I got to you just in time. If Rachel had asked you if you'd seen Just Go With It..." He grimaced as he thought of the possible consequences.

"OK, let's get started. You pick one." She looked over all of them and finally picked one.

"Horrible Bosses? Is that a good film?" He laughed and patted the bed as he sat up.

"Let's watch and see."


	5. Chapter 5

"Thank you Tony!" Ziva called to him as she took the familiar seat at her familiar desk. She sighed happily.

"It's so nice to be back," she started to hum as she tapped on the computer keyboard. McGee looked up. Ziva didn't normally thank Tony and she definitely didn't hum.

"What's up Ziva? Why do you need to thank Tony?" Tony arrived behind McGee and hit him on the back of the head with an envelope.

"I just gave Ziva a night to remember McGee. That's all you need to know." Tony discreetly winked at Tony. McGee's mouth fell open.

"I need a status update." Gibbs walked into the bullpen, cup of hot coffee in hand. Tony leaned on Ziva's desk and started his recount.

"Nothing seems to be up with John. I'll be able to find out more when we go out with the Leighton's for dinner this evening." Ziva turned to him, very surprised.

"Dinner? Today, with the Leighton's? You never told me!" Tony was silent. He started to mutter excuses. Gibbs waved him aside and turned to Ziva.

"Rachel Leighton admitted to me that she knew Aaron very well. To be precise, she said that Aaron's father was her husband's mentor and that he used to come over for a meal occasionally. His favourite was chicken." After a moment of thought Gibbs sighed.

"Nothing particularly interesting. It's just that now I feel like chicken. Oh well." He walked off leaving the 3 a bit shocked.

"Did Gibbs just say 'Oh well'? He never says 'Oh well'!" McGee sighed and continued researching the first Apple Mac. Things were just getting too weird. At least the first edition of the Mac would never change or go weird on him.

_Later_

"Are you ready?" Tony called from his room, carefully adjusting his tie. However, it just wasn't working. He couldn't make it into a bow.

"Is this alright? It's the most formal thing I have." Tony turned round and was rendered speechless.

Ziva was wearing a shiny black gown, which was more like a corset and skirt, and she wore no makeup except for a little bit of kohl around her eyes. He sighed and thought.

"I can't tell her that she looks like an Arabian princess, the prize of any sultan's harem..." He cleared his throat and tore his gaze away from her. She smiled a little.

"You look really nice Ziva. I think that dress should suit you and the Ritz just fine." She stepped forward and Tony could now smell the enticing aroma of floral musk that she wore. She stood close to him and quickly made his tie into a bow.

"There. Shall we leave?" He nodded dumbly as Ziva took his arm.

"Oh God give me strength," he thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: There are loads of you people out there who have my fic as a favourite/ alert. First of all, a great big thank you hug TO EVERYONE! You guys make my day You'd make it even more if you reviewed. But most of all I'd like you to enjoy them even if you don't want to review.**

**MERRY XMAS TO ALL xxxxx**

He felt like the king of the world when he entered the dining room of the Ritz with Ziva on his arm. He just couldn't figure out why. He'd taken loads of girls out to dinner, women who were prettier than Ziva. Yet he had never felt...was the word 'pride'? Yes, he had never felt proud to be with those women. But why this feeling with ZIVA?

"This is the person who I constantly fight with, who I always try to be better than. Am I happy because we're equal? No...then why?"Tony's mind was full of thoughts he just couldn't control.

Then suddenly it came to him. He DID want them both to be equal, just get along together.

"I like it when she smiles and laughs with me. I don't mind when she laughs at me...Oh my gosh, I want Ziva to like me." He sighed heavily and Ziva looked across anxiously.

"Tony, are you alright?" Tony looked at her.

"No, definitely not. I've just realised that I actually like you a lot but I don't know how to say it. You'd probably just shake me off and say that I'm joking. Well I'm not Ziva David. I LIKE YOU, but I don't know how to tell you..." Tony thought. He managed a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Come on, let's fin the Leighton's."

_Ziva's POV:_

What is this feeling? I feel like I'm the luckiest woman here. I can see all the women here eyeing me. But why? I'm not THAT beautiful by their standards.

At least I'm not beautiful by Tony's standards. Whether their ideas and his are the same...who can say? I'm not very tall and blonde, and I don't think that my breasts are very big...I am tanned though. But does Tony like tanned women...?

There I go again! Always thinking of Tony! Why did I choose this dress over the others? Oh yes, Tony said that he thought black looked good on me so I chose this. But I hate this dress, I always have!

Or maybe the women aren't eyeing me but eyeing Tony instead...why do I mind? Tony's not that good-looking, well his hair is quite soft and his smile's infectious...but there's so much ore to him. All these ladies can only see the superficial side, but Tony is so much more. I kind of feel sad and happy at the same time. Sad because they can't see the REAL Tony, happy because I'm the one at his side.

I need help. I'm becoming Tony obsessive!


	7. Chapter 7

"Tony?" A tall woman with six inch stiletto heels and platinum blonde hair stared at him open-mouthed. She ran forward and kissed him full on the mouth.

"Who are you?"Ziva eyed her. Definitely a bimbo. She frowned.

"Dinosaur, how can you NOT remember me? Chrissie Ricci?" A look of understanding broke out.

"Oh my gosh, Chrissie Ricci! We were best friends, right?" Ziva noticed Tony falter slightly. He wasn't telling the whole truth. Ricci snorted.

"Honey we were friends..._sex_ friends." Ziva shivered. Disgusting immorality that she was strangely grateful for. She was reminded of Tony's actions outside of the workplace.

"Yes anyway this is my wife...my wife Maria." Chrissie looked at Ziva and then at Tony.

"Dinosaur this is your wife? I thought you were totally in love with that other girl?" Ziva stopped and looked at him. There was someone that he loved?

"Who? I'm not in love with anyone!" Chrissie punched him on the arm playfully.

"Sure you are! That chick from your job!" Ziva laughed. There was no way that Abby had fallen for Tony. Tony shook his head. Ziva thought she saw a tear in his eye.

"I never told her that I loved her, but it's too late now. She's dead."There was a silence.

"Anyway I love Maria very much." He looked tenderly into Ziva's eyes and cradled her hand gently in his. Chrissie sighed.

"You 2 look so sweet together. I wish I could have a husband like you Maria." It took Ziva a split second to realise that Chrissie was talking to her. It was her turn to look into Tony's eyes.

"Yes," she murmured softly. "There are times when I value Tony so much but I never say it to him. So for all those times I thank you Tony. I need you so much more than both of us realise." Feeling on a roll she leant forward and kissed him. Reluctantly pulling away she could feel the intense-ness of his gaze. Chrissie didn't appear to notice anything.

"I've got to go. Bye." Neither of them replied. They continued to stare into each other's eyes.

"Ziva, we have..." Tony started to say something but Ziva firmly pressed her finger to his lips.

"Save it for tonight." They walked off to join the Leighton's.

**A/N:If you have an idea who Tony's love used to be please tell me ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

"So how did, you two meet?"asked Rachel. Ziva looked up, her mouth full of salad. Tony carefully wiped some dressing that was at the side of her mouth. Their eyes met.

"Oh, I'm sorry Rachel. We met at a party. I was new to New York and..."She left it open for Tony to continue. Tony laughed and held her hand under the table.

"I wasn't going to leave her outside, all alone in the city. Plus she had a few Spanish words that I didn't really know. She had to teach them to me." Ziva kissed him again but then suddenly remembered their true mission.

"Oh yes, I was looking through our house and I found this." Ziva removed Petty Officer Aaron's watch from her pocket. John Leighton looked at it and smiled.

"Nice watch. Is it Swiss? My watch is Swiss, a Rolex to be precise." Ziva saw Rachel staring at it.

"Rachel? Do you know what this is?" Rachel was in slight shock but she nodded slowly.

"Of course Maria. It's a watch."Rachel was confused.

"He never took it off. Why do you have it?" She looked at Ziva with tears in her eyes.

"Who are you? How come you have his watch?"her voice was louder now and people were looking.

"Honey, be quiet," muttered John into his napkin. Tony was looking intently at Rachel.

"Is it Aaron's?" Ziva asked finally. Rachel stood up, grabbed the watch and ran off into the direction of the car park. John sighed and threw his hands up in the air.

"I'm so sorry...I'll pay you back tomorrow." He ran after his wife. There was a silence.

"How old would you say that John is?"asked Tony. Ziva pulled out some papers.

"He's 45, and Rachel's 35." Ziva frowned and looked at Tony.

"She's only 5 years older than him." Tony nodded and fondled the top button at the back of her neck. Then he leaned forward and kissed her neck.

"Maybe she was his love friend. Hey Ziva, can you teach me the language of love?" She turned to face him.

"I'm sure you know it Tony...but I won't teach you HERE." She took his hand and they walked up to the rooms.


	9. Chapter 9

Tony rubbed his eyes as the sunlight filtered in through the window. It took a moment for him to register his surroundings. He was at the Ritz, sleeping beside the woman who he loved most in the world. He turned over and swept away a stray curl from Ziva's face.

"Hey," he murmured. "You awake?" There was no response except for the rising of her chest.

"You're just so beautiful," he thought." I have to say, you taught me something new yesterday."

Ziva had taught him the language of love; but not physical. She had told him how she loved him and Tony had to admit that it had been one of the happiest nights of his life. It had been the night when he had found his soulmate in Ziva.

He got up and rubbed his shoulders. He had never slept in so much clothing before.

"I'm gonna take a shower." He got up and smiled as he looked at Ziva again. He walked into the bathroom and stopped. There was a note in the bath. Well, there was a blank piece of paper.

"I thought you were going to take a shower." Ziva walked and stopped too.

"Hey, why is there...?" Using his logic DiNozzo turned one of the taps on. As the water ran over the paper, letters started to form. It left Tony and Ziva speechless.

_**I killed Aaron. But there is no evidence on Earth for you to prove it.**_


	10. Extra

_**A/N: I know I didn't include the conversation between Tony and Ziva earlier so here it is It's...descriptive. But it IS T not M!**_

He leaned in and kissed her as soon as the lift doors closed. She let out a sigh that she had held in whilst others had been in the lift. Ziva was pretty sure that the elderly woman had understood their relationship; she had winked at her. But no time for thinking about petty things like that now, she let Tony's arms encircle her waist. He drew her closer to him. Ziva smiled.

She had never told Tony that she had wanted this ever since she had first met him. She giggled at their first meeting, he had 'been having phone sex'. Or at least it seemed like it was phone sex.

"Hey," Tony broke away. Ziva moaned her displeasure. He eyed her up and down.

"Why'd you laugh?" he asked humorously. She whispered in his ear before running her tongue down his ear. She smiled lasciviously again as she felt him shiver.

"I would never thought you would have shivered DiNozzo," speaking in her most exotic accent. He kissed her neck before sucking on it. It was her turn to shiver.

"Same here David." The lift doors pinged and DiNozzo lifted her into her arms. She couldn't help giggling coquettishly. DiNozzo laughed.

"You'll make some more surprising noises later Ziva." He opened the hotel door and literally threw her onto the bed. She sat up on her elbows and looked at him. He turned away.

"I ...I can't." She got up and put her hand on her shoulder. His eyes were wet.

"Tony? Hey Tony, it's alright!" She hugged him, his friend above all else.

"You're different Ziva. You mean so much to me. You're nothing like all those girls I normally..." Ziva laughed and pulled him down so that he was sitting beside her on the bed.

"I'm not like the girls you normally sleep with, right? That's good to know." He nodded.

"That's why it's probably best we wait...I feel like we're rushing. It's weird, especially for me but..." She leaned forward and kissed him tenderly while running her hands through his hair.

"It's the same for me Tony. Let's wait." She kicked off her stilettos and got beneath the covers. "I'm tired...let's sleep." He nodded and they spent the rest of the night wrapped in each other's arms.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Just released another TIVA. It's called 'Regrets in Rota' which is pretty much self explanatory: P please check it out!**

"Oh I'll prove it! Just you wait!" Gibbs looked round the room before placing the Caf-Pow beside Abby. He looked at her evidence table and in her gun-testing room.

"Who you talking to Abs?" he asked. Abby stabbed the watery note with her index finger. Gibbs strained and read the ink. He raised his eyebrows.

"That's quite a challenge, but they don't know you do they?" Abby turned round, her black pigtails flying behind her.

"There was a guy who tried to kill me because I was the main testifier at his hearing. He knew who I was." Gibbs sighed and patted her on the shoulder.

"I didn't let him go last time and I won't let this guy get you either Abby." She smiled as she sipped. "I know I can trust you Gibbs." He let his eyes run over all of the evidence again.

"No Gibbs. I haven't found anything yet. There are no fingerprints or even the tiniest shred of DNA on this thing. I'm just running the ink through the chromatography machine. It'll be 30 minutes" He put up a finger as he exited the lab. Abby threw up her hands in despair.

"10? You're giving me just 10 minutes? I'm going to need some more of this!" She returned to her machines and sighed. Her babies would never let her down.

"We have to be careful Tony," Ziva whispered in the locked lift. Tony leaned in and kissed her ear. "Why?" he murmured deeply. "I like you and you like me." Ziva firmly pushed him away before unlocking the lift. She raised her eyebrows as the lift doors opened. Tony suddenly realised.

"Hi Gibbs!"" he said as cheerily as possible. "Ziva and I were just on our way to tell Abby about the water!" Ziva made a face at him while Gibbs nodded slowly.

"Yes...the temperature of the water affects the ink...in many ways." As a reflex Ziva slapped him on the arm. As a master of espionage she knew that normal actions would fool anyone. The two of them got out and Gibbs got in. As the doors were closing he spoke to them.

"I just want to remind you two of Rule 12." Tony and Ziva sighed in unison. True, her actions would have fooled anyone...but Gibbs wasn't just anyone.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hint of lemon.**

"Honey I'm home!" Ziva poked her head out of the kitchen, a plate in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other. Tony stopped to take in the image for a moment.

"Have you brought the milk?" Tony breathed in through his teeth. Ziva sighed in exasperation.

"Tony! How am I supposed to make coffee now?" Tony laughed and drew a bottle from his coat.

"Veuve Clicquot?" Tony nodded. Ziva frowned and placed the spoon and plate on the nearby table.

"That drink doesn't go with baklava." Tony remained blank. She gasped.

"You don't know what baklava is, do you?" Tony stammered a reply.

"Isn't that a black face mask...?" Ziva harrumphed and strode back into the kitchen before bringing out a tray. She tenderly took a slice of the pastry.

"That's balaclava Tony. Isn't English meant to be your first language?" She held it to his lips for him to eat. As he bit his teeth gently grazed Ziva's fingertips. Their eyes met.

"That's delicious," he told her. "You're a really good cook Ziva." She smiled at him and his heart warmed. Spontaneously he leant in and kissed her on the lips. She placed the tray next to the plate and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her closer so their kiss was deepened.

The ring of the doorbell broke their reverie. Tony's eyes twinkled as they parted.

"Oh, it's you Rachel!" Tony skulked in the background. Rachel managed a small smile.

"I wanted to apologise for my actions. I brought cake." Ziva sensed her discomfort. Then she realised that Rachel had not come to Aaron's house since he had passed away.

"I've just made some baklava, do you want some?" Rachel hesitated before replying.

"I suppose I could have a little bit. Can't have too much otherwise I won't keep up this figure." Her fingers ran down her body. Ziva stopped for a moment before inviting her in. Tony smiled at Rachel whilst he was climbing on the stairs. Ziva took the bottle of Veuve Clicquot and Tony's face immediately fell.

"Honey, Rachel and I are going to have a little drink." Rachel shook her head.

"I'm not drinking," she replied quietly. Ziva nodded slowly before flashing a toothy smile at Tony.

"Honey, we'll just be having sweets in the kitchen." Ziva noted that Rachel walked slowly but she knew where to go. Suddenly Rachel clasped her hand over her mouth and bent over.

"Rachel, are you alright?" Rachel nodded and straightened up. When she absentmindedly placed her hand on her lower stomach Ziva's thoughts were confirmed.

"Rachel...,"she asked cautiously. "Are you pregnant?"


	13. Chapter 13

"What?" Rachel looked up at Ziva, she was obviously in a daze. She had to think quickly.

"Tony why don't you get started on your work project?" There was a small pause.

"Whatever you say honey!" Ziva led Rachel to the dining table and asked the question again.

"Yes...yes I am." Rachel slowly sipped the warm tea that Ziva had prepared. Ziva now knew that she had to tread very carefully.

"Does your husband know?" Rachel nodded but not very convincingly. Ziva chose to continue staring at her. Rachel nervously looked up again and saw Ziva's probing expression.

"No I don't think John knows. I haven't told him I just found out a week ago." Ziva raised her eyebrows.

"Rachel , if I was pregnant then I would tell Chris right away." Rachel started to weep.

"What if you weren't sure if it was your husband's baby?" Ziva nodded slowly and dared to ask.

"Is it Aaron's?" Rachel shrugged and reached for a tissue before loudly blowing her nose.

"If I knew I would say but I don't. My husband has had experience with something like this in the past. His first wife conceived another man's baby and she eloped with him. I don't know how he would react." Ziva thought sadly that she knew how he would.

After she bid goodbye to Rachel she poured a glass for herself and Tony.

"It's primal isn't it? Killing the father of your wife's unborn baby." Tony commented as they walked upstairs. Ziva nodded in agreement.

"When lions take over a new pride they sometimes kill the cubs of the previous head." Tony stepped in front of their bedroom door. Ziva was confused.

"Are you ready for my work project?" A small smile formed on her face as Tony opened the door.

Rose petals were strewn across the duvets and sweet scented candles were lit around the room.

"Tony...you get an A* for this." She pulled him inside the room to give him his reward.


	14. Chapter 14

A few rays of sunlight filtered in through the windows as Tony rubbed away the last few strands of sleep away from his eyes. He tiredly turned over and wasn't surprised to find no one beside him.

"She does get up for her run." Rose petals fluttered to the floor as he rose from the bed and the delicate smell of scented candles burnt the night before made his nostrils tingle.

"What's that smell?" Tony followed his nose down to the kitchen. And there she was.

Ziva was wearing a tank top with some running shorts. She heard his quiet footsteps and turned round. Her smile lit up her eyes and graced her face.

"Had a nice lie-in?" Tony laughed as he took a seat at the dining table.

"Anything after 6 am is a lie-in for you." He mumbled appreciatively as she placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him.

"I half expect a kid or two to come running in." Ziva smiled sadly.

"We're both similar in that way Tony. We never really had a typical childhood." Tony laughed sarcastically before cutting up the eggs.

"That's true. Who knows what kind of person I would be if my father was there more?" After having lost his appetite he placed his cutlery on the plate.

"What kind of person would I be if my father wasn't the director of Mossad...?" Tony looked up.

"We would never have met. I wouldn't have joined NCIS because I would've been in business. And who knows where you would be." She smiled knowingly.

"I would've been a housewife." They spoke in unison.

"That would have been so boring!" Tony took her hand in his.

"Everything happens for a reason Ziva." She nodded before speaking.

"I'm going to give my children a childhood that they'll have fond memories of." Tony cleared his throat before replying.

"I disagree with that Ziva." She frowned before removing her hand from his. He kissed her tenderly.

"They'll not just be your children...they'll be mine as well."


	15. Chapter 15

She stopped suddenly, breaking away from the kiss. He moaned slightly before pulling her in for another. Ziva firmly placed her hands on his chest.

"You want to have children with me Tony?" her voice was soft and cautious. Fear flickered through her eyes. His sigh was heavy and she could feel his stress as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Damn...of course you don't feel the same way. Idiot!" he chastised himself and turned away.

"I want to have kids with you. That would...be a dream come true." He took her face in his hands. This time the kiss was more passionate and he was the one to pull away.

"This isn't the ideal situation...but then again I think it is." His smile made her heart stop.

"Ziva..._ha'im tinas'i li?" _ Her breath caught in her throat. Tony wondered whether he had been too spontaneous. He had envisaged this scene countless times but it had never been perfect. And he shouldn't have taken a Hebrew translation from Wikianswers either.

"Yes," she replied, taking his face into her soft hands. "I would marry you a million times if possible." Their reverie was broken by the appearance of Rachel in the doorway.

"What...? Aren't you two already married?" her voice was laced caution and suspicion. Ziva cleared her throat.

"We were just talking about renewing our vows Rachel." She tilted her head slightly and Tony reluctantly left the room. Rachel sat down heavily and laughed grudgingly.

"I swear you two are just newlyweds. Already planning to renew vows?" Ziva took the glass of wine from the previous night. Rachel's eyes widened.

"Drinking so early in the morning?" 'Maria' shrugged before taking a delicate sip.

"John has to go on a business trip for a week," she sighed happily. "Meanwhile I was planning a quick trip to the parlour...?" The invitation was nearly missed by Ziva who quickly nodded.

"Let me get dressed," she told Rachel with a smile. Climbing up the stairs she was caught unawares by Tony who wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her in close. She crouched into herself, letting his arms fully surround her. He kissed her head gently.

"I have to get changed Tony," they reluctantly parted but not before he managed to slip in another quick kiss. Another grin graced his face.

"I'll be here. Waiting." While closing the bedroom door he spoke again.

"I'll be there for you Ziva. Forever."


	16. Chapter 16

"_You ready?" Gibbs asked her but both of them already knew the answer. Long before Tony had even proposed Ziva knew that they were were meant to be together; a wedding ceremony was a confirmation to both them as well as all their near and dear._

"_Yes," her voice came out breathier than she thought and Gibbs squeezed her hand gently. _

"_You'll be fine Ziva. Trust me. I was the same with Shannon...Shannon...Shannon."_

Ziva came out of her reverie when Rachel lightly slapped her with the hand that wasn't getting painted with cherry coloured nail varnish. Her tweezed eyebrows raised questioningly.

"You were talking about Shannon?" prodded Ziva delicately, with a surprising groggy feel in her eyes. Rachel's face lit up as she smiled.

"Yes. When I flew from London City airport that's where we cleared immigration. That was probably when John and I wereat our happiest...before we were even engaged." Her lower lip started to tremble and Ziva decided to quickly change the subject. Not too much though, because there were still questions that needed answers.

"What was the age difference between you and Aaron?" The tears started to fall now but Rachel's voice remained unusually steady.

"He was 5 years younger than me. Well, his 31st birthday was only in a week. We were planning to go the coast for the weekend as a celebration. So I guess about 4 years then. But people get married with about 20 or 30 years difference!" Ziva patted Rachel's hand.

"There's no need to go on the defensive Rachel. I know that love doesn't always follow the path that society seems to carve. It can happen where you least expect it." Especially when you find yourself falling in love with your childish, womanising?, pathetic joke-cracking colleague Ziva thought to herself.

"Are you sure it's his?" Rachel snorted desperately and put the other hand forward so a new set of nails could be painted.

"I'm sure that it's Aaron's yes, because John was never home for any 'action' let alone enough for a conception of a baby." Ziva hoped the glare from the strong,vibrant colour of the cherry nail polish would hide the growing blush in her cheeks. "Hopefully it'll go under his radar when I tell him. Maybe I should just sleep with him now and tell him a month later...? Ziva, are you alright?" The blush had moved up to her forehead and down to her neck; both areas weren't 'protected' by the reddy reflection.

"He's your husband Rachel," she managed to mumble quietly. Rachel started to fire up.

"John's not been much of one, I can tell you that much! He was home maybe one day every two weeks and he KNEW that I wanted children. But did he come to the gynaecologist with me? No. Heck, did he even do the grocery shopping even once?! No." After her outburst Rachel was breathing heavily. "He can hardly be surprised if he finds out. John doesn't need to find out, does he?" In spite of her anger Ziva could tell that Rachel was still wary, nearly afraid of John Leighton. Her heart ached for her and she shook her head.

"I see no reason why John needs to know. If I said that I was comfortable with your deception I would be lying but ultimately it's your decision. And now you're the baby's only biological parent..." Rachel nodded.

"Thanks for your advice Maria. It's been a long time I've been able to chat with a girlfriend like this." Me too, thought Ziva. Suddenly Rachel's jaw dropped.

"I'm looking for a Maria DiAngelo?" A delivery florist walked into the parlour, holding the biggest bouquet of roses that Ziva had ever seen. She raised her hand tentatively and took the note, nestled gently among the flowers.

_Just to remind you that I love you Maria ;)_


	17. Chapter 17

"That's so sweet. Young love," cooed Rachel, clapping her hands to the side of her face. Ziva playfully slapped her on the hand.

"You're right. It is really sweet," she murmured softly and slipped the note inside the pocket on her chest, where it slowly seemed to warm her heart. Tony seemed so much more like a boyfriend now, sending little love messages hidden among bouquets of gorgeous flowers.

"You're done Mrs Leighton," the parlour worker smiled. "We'd love to see you again soon." They bid goodbye and closed the door behind them as they walked outside. Rachel put her arm through Ziva's without any hesitation and held it tightly. Ziva tensed slightly, not quite sure what to do in this situation. Rachel didn't seem to notice and she relaxed once she realised that all that they were doing was going for a casual stroll.

"The weather's so nice. We have to make the most of this before the fall. You and Chris really should come to our house in the Hamptons." Ziva almost did a double take. House in the Hamptons ?! He was just a Marine and few on even the highest pay grades could afford a large home that could accommodate guests in that prestigious area of Long Island, New York.

"John owns a house in the Hamptons?" Rachel paled and started to stutter.

"D-did I say t-that it belonged to us? I-I didn't mean that. It belongs to John's brother." Something was wrong. Ziva placed her hand tenderly on Rachel's shoulder.

"What's wrong Rachel? Please tell me, I'll try and help you." Rachel shook her head and sat down heavily at one of the outdoor seats of a café. Ziva quickly ordered an espresso and waited for Rachel to be ready.

"I've done it again. John TOLD me that I can't blabber about how much money he has because Marines aren't that rich." Rachel smiled apologetically. "Sorry I'm such an emotional wreck Maria. My hormones are really out of whack with the pregnancy." Ziva mentally shelved the point to ask Rachel about family finances later just before her phone vibrated with an incoming text.

"I'd love to stay and chat but it appears I've been called back to work. See you later." Rachel managed a feeble wave. Ziva slung her bag over her shoulder and turned the corner right into Gibbs.

"Wait, what...? I thought you just asked me to come to work?" Gibbs nodded sternly.

"I did." A cryptic silence followed and a small frown soon creased the space between Ziva's eyebrows.

"This is the only case I'm working on Gibbs. According to you, work should be just where I came from." A small smile appeared on his face and he shook his head.

"Rule 12 Ziva. Care to remind me what it is?" There was no point in asking how he had come to find out. Gibbs always had a knack for these things. A chill settled over Ziva and she rubbed her forearms.

"Never date a co-worker. I understand Gibbs. I'll definitely keep that in mind." He patted her shoulder, as if to say 'I know you will'.

After Gibbs had gone she felt herself be hugged from behind and she knew it was Tony who was embracing her.

"Didn't he come to you too?" she asked, her voice breaking. "We can't do this anymore Tony." Tony let go and for a minute Ziva felt terribly cold. Then she felt him gently turning her round so that they were face to face.

"I've always obeyed Gibbs because I knew that it would be in my best interests to always have him on my side. But this time..." He took her face in his hands and pulled her forward so that the only thing between them was their clothes. "I've waited years for you and it would not be in my best interests to abandon this chance when it was handed to me with that house key." Ziva clasped his wrists.

"Gibbs...you're saying we should disobey Gibbs." Both of them realised what they would be getting into, but without their beloved boss' permission. Tony grinned, that cheeky sexy grin which Ziva had grown to adore.

"He and the team will just have to get used to it. Used to US." They laughed before kissing each other like there was no tomorrow, completely unaware of the DC rain starting to pour.


	18. Chapter 18

**Please R & R! Doesn't even take a minute ;) xx**

"This is so clichéd," laughed Ziva when they pulled apart from each other. "Kissing in the rain just after the 'father' figure told us to stay apart." Tony smiled warmly and then threw his coat over her head, shielding her from the rain.

"You dry now?" Ziva nodded and she led him back to an empty bus stop where they snuggled against each other, their wet clothes causing goose bumps to erupt up their arms.

"What have you found out about Rachel?" Tony hugged Ziva closer and like penguins they warmed up together.

"She's pregnant and Rachel's pretty sure that Aaron was the father. John's still on that business trip and she plans to fool him by telling about her pregnancy a month later, so that he thinks that he's the father." Tony nodded seriously.

"That's certainly the safest thing to do, especially as Leighton has the tendency to act violently when angry. Ziva..." At the tender note in his voice Ziva looked up into his softened eyes. "If you're ever pregnant you would tell me, wouldn't you?" Ziva squeezed his hand and nodded.

"Of course I would Tony. Don't think I won't." After sharing that sweet moment the two returned back to business.

"What have you unearthed about John?" Tony leaned back and started to tell everything that he knew.

"Rachel was right about John's ex-wife. She did run away and they divorced, but it wasn't on adultery charges. John was beating Lydia...and the court video evidence to prove it." Ziva asked another question.

"When did it start? Or rather, when did they get divorced?" Tony brought out a photocopy of a court certificate, dated June 23rd of just one year ago. John had married Rachel only 2 months later.

"He was quick to back jump onto the wagon," mused Tony. "A little quick in my opinion. I think a visit to Lydia Leighton is now in order." Ziva nodded.

"I agree. And the rain's stopped, so let's go." If only they knew just what they were getting in to...


End file.
